The University of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ is offering a new Massive Open Online Course called Biosphere 2 Science for the Future of Our Planet that begins Monday, March 12.
You may enroll now at for free, or pay $49 to get a certificate and a yearlong individual pass to Biosphere 2 after finishing the course. The class is not worth UA credits.
The course creators hope this outreach effort will spark new interest in the Biosphere 2, shake its old scandalous reputation and bring attention to the cutting-edge science being done there.
The open courses offered by Coursera and other educational platforms like it allow learners from across the globe to access free knowledge from colleges and universities in a range of topics.
Over the course of nine weeks, 14 UA scientists will teach nine online classes on topics spanning plants and soil to oceans and rainforests to the moon and Mars and how these things relate to earth science and stewardship for the planet.
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Themes include the importance of collaboration across scientific disciplines, the effects of human-driven climate change, environmental responsibility and the relationship between the environment and human survival.
The first lecture will introduce Biosphere 2, the 3-acre terrarium near Oracle north of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, and be taught by Joaquin Ruiz, geoscientist and dean of the College of Science, and John Adams, deputy director of Biosphere 2.
“We want to let people know that the Biosphere still exists and is open,†said Kevin Bonine, education and outreach director for Biosphere 2 and coordinating instructor for the course.
After the Biosphere’s turbulent history as a failed enclosed experiment 25 years ago and Columbia University’s stint as owners from 1996 to 2003, the course creators wanted to raise awareness of the facility and the research coming out of it, he said. The UA took over the facility, built in 1986 with funding from Texas billionaire and philanthropist Edward P. Bass, in 2007.
“There’s a lot of research coming out of it now,†said Chris Impey, associate dean in the College of Science and an astronomy professor. “It’s still a good science experiment, but now it’s more high-tech — including sensors and drones to make measurements — it’s been booted into the 21st century.â€
Biosphere 2 is an important research tool to understanding earth systems, Bonine said, because there’s still a lot “we don’t know in super-fine detail. What we learn from LEO (one of the experiments within B2) and the rest of the Biosphere is what we will use to modify global climate models†to make better predictions about the future of the planet.
The course is for anyone interested. There’s no prerequisite. Bonine and Impey expect students from around the world to join.
“As an outreach vehicle, it’s great and has incredible reach,†Impey said. He played a critical role in the course’s development because of his years of experience teaching online courses.
His astronomy classes have attracted students from 116 countries.
After taking the course, students would still have more to gain by visiting the facility in person, Bonine said.
“The course is obviously a deeper dive than what you’d get in a Biosphere tour,†Impey said. But tours provide behind-the-scenes information, especially the ever-popular scandalous aspect of Biosphere 2.
Plus, “there’s lot of undergraduate work and researchers happy to talk to tour groups,†he said.
Ultimately, “it’s just super-cool when they see it for the first time in the desert. They go ‘wow.’ It’s an amazing facility.â€
